"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

one thing that struck me as odd, though, is that when I took my first communion, they use real wine! I remember going to a non-denom church that had communion , but it was just wonder bread and grape juice! I love how authentic Orthodoxy is!

I really do need to get used to the wine served after communion, with the blessed bread. it's really strong.

Thanks be to God! Welcome to the family, and to the battleground. You're in for the fight of your life (literally). Prayers for you, and have a blessed Holy Week and a glorious Pascha!

you too!!!!

my godfather keeps telling me and telling me that life gets harder when you become Orthodox, because you've engaged yourself in the fight. He also says to just "keep my eyes on the prize" (he gazes at the sky, pointing to it)

Be prepared to fight, but do not fear the battle. The war is already won. Christ has conquered. He is risen! He is in our midst, and always shall be. Satan no longer has power over you. You will stumble and fall, perhaps many times; but as long as you get back up, you will remain victorious. Our Lord has redeemd you; and He is a strong, good, and gracious Shepherd. God chastises those He loves, but He never forsakes us. So be encouraged always; and when dark days and sinful passions seem to overtake you, cling to the Cross and know that the mercy of God endures forever.

Peace to you my friend.

Selam,

Gebre Menfes Kidus

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"There are two great tragedies: one is to live a life ruled by the passions, and the other is to live a passionless life."Selam, +GMK+

And so it should be. At the early Sunday liturgy at the church I attend, the job of preparing the post-communion "swig" falls to me. About 20% wine, and the rest hot water, according to those who instructed me. Or, Trevor, it could be (given you're a teenager and I'm probably older than your parents) that any alcohol, even if diluted, would hit you pretty hard, especially on an empty stomach.

Congratulations, and may your Holy Week and Pascha be truly blessed!

« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 05:29:25 AM by LBK »

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No longer posting here. Anyone is welcome to email me at the address in my profile.

Be prepared to fight, but do not fear the battle. The war is already won. Christ has conquered. He is risen! He is in our midst, and always shall be. Satan no longer has power over you. You will stumble and fall, perhaps many times; but as long as you get back up, you will remain victorious. Our Lord has redeemd you; and He is a strong, good, and gracious Shepherd. God chastises those He loves, but He never forsakes us. So be encouraged always; and when dark days and sinful passions seem to overtake you, cling to the Cross and know that the mercy of God endures forever.

Peace to you my friend.

Selam,

Gebre Menfes Kidus

what a wonderful sentiment! Thanks. This is another reason that I love the opportunity to confess my sins, to "get back up". I could not do this when I was protestant, so how could I have gotten up?

Thanks be to God! Welcome to the family, and to the battleground. You're in for the fight of your life (literally). Prayers for you, and have a blessed Holy Week and a glorious Pascha!

you too!!!!

my godfather keeps telling me and telling me that life gets harder when you become Orthodox, because you've engaged yourself in the fight. He also says to just "keep my eyes on the prize" (he gazes at the sky, pointing to it)

Congratulations and welcome to the fight! God, through the Church, has given us many power weapons with which to do battle. Glory to God for all things!

Ephesians 6:11-17

11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,

15and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

16Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,

Rejoice and be glad in your joining the Faith. Remain humble and judge not others who may not feel as you do in the glory of your day! For soon, in a few days, you will be able to receive the Light of the Resurrection and proclaim that Christ is Risen!

"If you leave me free in my religion, I will be very eager to carry out your commands. But if you try to force me to change my faith, I will first surrender my head. I was born a Christian and a Christian I shall die."

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Excellence of character, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. Now it is a mean between two vices, that which depends on excess and that which depends on defect.

Let us the faithful now come together to praise our father, protector and teacher the pillar of the Orthodox faith and firm defender of piety even the wondrous hierarch Philaret and let us glorify our Saviour Who has granted us his incorrupt relics as a manifest sign of his sanctity.

I shall roar with you!!!!Yes things do become very tempting, and a lot of the times the closer you get to Christ the more tempting things tend to become. Notice how things start to change in your life now. You will have deep emotional prayers where tears are abundant and then prayers that seem as if you are in a drought. Never lose faith and always know that when times are hard that Christ is right next to you.

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Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I have split this topic off into to two topics. Please continue your congratulations on the Chrismation of Trevor. Christianus had a question pertinant to the Real Body and Blood of Our Lord that has had excellent responses by Father Ambrose the Irish Hermit and Heorghi that may be found in the Faith Issues Forum under the topic Re: Real Body and Blood of Our Lord?